Current production motor vehicles, such as the modern-day automobile, are originally equipped with a powertrain that operates to propel the vehicle and power the onboard vehicle electronics. The powertrain, which is inclusive of, and oftentimes misclassified as, a vehicle drivetrain, is generally comprised of a prime mover that delivers driving power to the vehicle's final drive system (e.g., differential, axle, and road wheels) through a multi-speed power transmission. Automobiles have generally been powered by a reciprocating-piston type internal combustion engine (ICE) because of its ready availability and relatively inexpensive cost, light weight, and overall efficiency. Such engines include two and four-stroke compression-ignited (CI) diesel engines, four-stroke spark-ignited (SI) gasoline engines, six-stroke architectures, and rotary engines, as some non-limiting examples. Hybrid and full-electric vehicles, on the other hand, utilize alternative power sources, such as an electric motor-generator, to propel the vehicle and minimize or eliminate reliance on an engine for power.
Hybrid vehicles utilize various traction power sources, such as an ICE assembly operating in conjunction with a battery powered or fuel-cell powered electric motor, to propel the vehicle. A hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), for example, stores both electrical energy and chemical energy, and converts the same into mechanical power to propel the vehicle and power the vehicle's assorted systems. The HEV is generally equipped with one or more electric machines (E-machine), such as electric motor/generators, that operate individually or in concert with an internal combustion engine to propel the vehicle. Some HEV powertrains utilize a fuel cell stack to supply electric power for the electric traction motors. Since hybrid vehicles are designed to derive their power from sources other than the engine, engines in HEVs may be turned off, in whole or in part, while the vehicle is propelled by the alternative power source(s).
A full electric vehicle (FEV)—colloquially known as “all-electric” vehicles—is an alternative type of electric-drive vehicle configuration that altogether eliminates the internal combustion engine and attendant peripheral components from the powertrain system, relying solely on electric tractive motors for vehicle propulsion. Battery electric vehicles (BEV), for example, utilize energy stored within a rechargeable, onboard battery pack, rather than a fuel tank, fuel cell, or fly-wheel, to power these electric motors. The electric vehicle employs an electrical power distribution system for transmitting electrical energy back-and-forth between the onboard battery pack and one or more electric motors via a motor controller. Plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) variations allow the battery pack to be recharged from an external source of electricity, such as a public power grid via a residential or commercial vehicle charging station
As electric vehicles become more popular and more prevalent, infrastructure is being developed and deployed to make day-to-day use of such vehicles feasible and convenient. Electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) comes in many forms, including residential electric vehicle charging stations (EVCS) owned and operated by a vehicle owner (e.g., installed in the owner's garage), publicly accessible EVCS deployed by public utilities or private retailers (e.g., at gas stations or public charging stations), and more sophisticated high-voltage, high-current charging stations used by automobile dealers and service stations. Plug-in electric vehicles originally equipped with an onboard traction battery pack, for example, can be charged by physically connecting a charging cable of the EVCS to a complementary charging port of the vehicle. Wireless electrical charging systems have also been developed for charging and recharging electric-drive vehicles without the need for charging cables and cable ports. Many such wireless charging systems utilize electromagnetic field (EMF) induction techniques to establish an electromagnetic coupling between a charging pad or platform external to the vehicle and a compatible receiver component onboard the vehicle. This receiver component is electrically connected to the rechargeable battery pack to transmit thereto current induced by the external charging pad/platform.